Water Gremlin had been making fishing sinkers since 1949, but the brand had gone quiet. Market share was slipping. People still loved the sinkers they grew up with, but newer, flashier competitors were getting more attention.

Water Gremlin didn’t need a new brand. It needed to rediscover the one it already had.

Starting with the gremlin.

Working with a creative partner at the time, I dug into what made Water Gremlin special. Not just the product and its history, but a mascot with real personality potential that had been sitting dormant in the logo for years. The kind of character that could make a grown fisherman smile and a kid beg their parent to pick the one with the funny guy on the package.

Giving him a voice.

We turned the gremlin into the company’s full-time spokesperson, giving him a slightly snarky, irreverent personality that respected the brand’s heritage while appealing to a modern audience. From there, the work spread across a redesigned website and packaging, print and digital campaigns, in-store signage, and a full suite of marketing materials.

The result.

After years of stagnant growth, Water Gremlin came back to life. The refreshed personality reconnected the company with its audience, gave the sales team stronger tools, and helped support expansion into new stores and markets.